Cyprus becomes first to complete EU accession negotiations

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, December 10, 2002

Cyprus becomes first to complete EU accession negotiations

Cyprus on Monday became the first candidate country to complete accession negotiations with the European Union (EU), the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) reported.

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Cyprus on Monday became the first candidate country to complete accession negotiations with the European Union (EU), the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) reported.

The completion of the accession negotiations took place during ameeting in Brussels between the Danish President of the European Council Per Stig Moeller, EU Enlargement Commissioner Gunter Verheugen and Cypriot Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides.

Moeller and Verheugen warmly congratulated Kasoulides, acknowledging the hard work done by the Cypriot government to harmonize legislation with the EU rules and regulations.

According to CNA, as of Monday, Cyprus has no points for negotiation regarding the chapters for harmonization.

Cyprus started accession negotiations with the European Union in1998. The European Council is expected to officially invite Cyprus to join the European bloc at the Copenhagen summit on Dec. 12-13.

Kasoulides told CNA that he conveyed to Hannay the positions of Cyprus' President Glafcos Clerides that the Greek Cypriot side "hasthe political will to continue efforts to solve the Cyprus problem even after Copenhagen summit."

The Mediterranean island of Cyprus has remained divided into theGreek Cypriot community and Turkish Cypriot community since 1974 when Turkish troops seized the northern third of the island following a failed coup seeking union with Greece.

Intensive consultations among the United Nations, the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides continued on Monday, with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's special advisor on Cyprus Alvaro de Soto meeting with both Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.

The international community hopes to achieve a initial Cyprus solution before or during the Copenhagen EU summit.

The negotiations between the two communities to solve the protracted Cyprus problem entered a new phase after Clerides and Denktash gave their comments on a plan Annan has submitted to the two sides relating to a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus issue.

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